Automatic piano-playing mechanism.



M. CLARK.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM.

APILIOATIOI FILED MAY 27, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, 1 6 276 Patented Feb. 3,1914.

M. CLARK.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM. V

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 27, 1912.

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APPLICATION TILED MAY 27, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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' Wzz mi y r M. CLARK. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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1 RWenZor: M6/Z2Z// 6 M. CLARK. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM. APELIOATION FILED MAY 27, 1912.

1,086,276. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVILLE CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MELVILLE CLARK PIANO COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 699,871.

To all whom. it may con ern Be it known that T, MnLvILLr. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the. county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented new and useful lm provcments in Automatic Piano-Playing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, forming a part; thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction of mechanism for automatic playing on a piano, dispensing with thenecessity for inclosino' in the piano case anything except the necessary parts for striking the keys and the pneumatic connections thereto, those parts being so situated in the case as to leave the keys exposed as for hand playing.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a partly secof the frame and manual of a grand piano, section being made at a horizontal plane below the string board, showing the position therein relatively to the customary parts of the piano of the pneumatic action and certain other parts. Fig. 2 isa section atthe line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a veitical fore-and-aft section of a. cabinet exterior to the piano case, containing the tracker, note sheet, note sheet rolls and their operating mechanisimand the exhaust mech anism for the pneumatic action which is shown in the piano, Fig. 1. --Fi g, t is a dc tail plan view of the tracker and duct connections of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail rear elevation of the duct board and duct connections of said structure. Fig. 6 is an axial sect-ionof one of Fig. 7 is a detail edge view of such coupling. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a coupling device for connecting the cabled tubes. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a. piano and cabinet and connecting cable embodying this invention.

he drawings show a grand piano of customary form having mounted under the manual keys, 1, pneumatic striker actions consisting of motor or striker pneumatics 7 having their moving walls connected with thrust pins, 3, for acting on the keys, r spectivcly, when the striker pneumatics are actuated in the usual manner by collapsing t manual keys through the when communication with the exhaust devices is opened.

In the drawings, the structure represented comprises two pneumatic actions, the principal action comprising striker neumatics, which may be understood to be the full number of the manual keys (eighty-eight) though not fully shown; the other action, hereinafter referred to as the supplemental action, comprising striker pneumatics for only a portion (fifty-two) of the manual keys at a medial portion of the manual coniprising the notes likely to be required for playing a solo or melody of a piece of music.

The two pneumatic actions are mounted as a. unitary structure upon the under framework of the piano, said actions being assembled so that they can be introduced bodily under the manual of a grand piano of ordinary construction and secured to the frame in any convenientv manner, so as to position the. thrust pins operatively as described in relation to the respective manual. keys.

The principal and supplemental sets of striker pneumatics aremounted inra famib 1a r manner upon shelves or duct boards, 4,

which jut off from the vertical walls of the rigidly united primary pneumatic chambers. 5 and 6, of the principal and supplemental actions, respectively; and said striker pneumatics are controlled in their striking action, in the familiar manner, by their respective primary p'neumatics, not shown, operating the valves, 6, which at collapsed positioirof the primary pneumatics admit atmospheric air to the striker pneumat-ics, and at inflated position close the atmospheric air communication and open communication of the striker pneumatics with the exhaust devices through the respective primary pneumatic chambers, the construction in these respects being that which is familiar and well understood and requires no further detail description.

The two sets of striker pneumaties are tive manuai keys for encountering the latter back of their fulcrum. The supplemental set of striker pneumatics is located behind the principal set and arranged to act on the medium of levers,

Patented Feb. 3, 191.4.

which actuate the thrust pins, 3, nositioned for acting on the manual keys a little forward of the position of thethrust pins,

3, of the principal set.

From the several primary pneumatic valves of the principal pneumatic action, flexible tubes, 7, extend by any convenient course, avoiding the sounding devices of the piano, to a member, 8, of a coupling mount ed on any convenient portion of the piano casin frame, and having one face exteriorly exposed for connection With a counterpart member, 9, of the couplinq. Similarly the flexible tubes, 10, from the primary pneumatics of the supplemental action 17, extend by convenient courses to a coupling member, 8, identical in construction, except as to the number of tubes Which it accommodates, with the member, 8, and similarly mounted upon the piano casing frame and 2; adapted for. connection with a counterpart member, 9. These couplings, which are in all respects similar, except as to number of tubes which they accommodate, will be hereinafter described in detail. Their purpose is to permit the cabling of the flexible tubes which are to connect the'primary pneu matics with the tracker board which is mounted upon an exterior cabinet, as here inatter described, so that the entire group of tubes thus cabled or aggregated for handling in one operation can be connected quickly to the piano and to the exterior cabinet and as quickly disconnected therefrom, the length of the cable being such as .35 to permit-the exterior cabinet to be positioned at any desired distance from or proximity to the piano. 7

- In an exterior cabinet, 15, there are mounted the usualpumpers, 16, principal 40 exhaust chamber or receiver, 17, and supplemental or high-tension cxhaiist chamber, 17, tracker, 18, take-up and music rolls, 22 and25, and their actuating motor mechanism, 21, all of these elements being ofa construction Well understood, the trabker having the necessary number of ducts for connection, ashereinat'ter' described, with both the principaland supplemental set of pneumatics above described, and ;in addition, other ducts'for connection with different regulating and controlling pneumatics and the pedal action hereinafter described. From' eighty-eight of the tracker ducts, flexible tubes, 20, lead to a coupling mcm 5 her, 21, mounted on the cabinet casing, 15, said coupling member being similar to the coupling member, 8, already described, which is mounted on the piano case; and rom fifty-eight tracker ducts,----c.oi'nprising two groups of twenty-nine each, made up of nineteen at the opposite ends of the first mentioned group of eighty-eight ducts and ten additional at each end out of the eightyeight, fiexible tubes, 23, extend to a coupling member, 24, precisely similar to the plingz members, 21 and 24-, are exteriorly exposed for connection to them, respectively,

'of cables hcreinaii'ter described, which consistiof flexible tubes cxtemlinn' from the piano case to the exterior cabinet for con ncctirrg the tracker in the cabinet with the pneumat"v actions in the piano case. From. the principal exhaust chamber, 17, a tube, 20, leads to the center of the coupling,- member, 24, and from the supplemental or high tension exhaust chamber, 17, a tube, 27, leads to the center of the coupling member, 21. Similarly, from the coupling member, 8, a tube, 27, leads to the primary pneumatic chamber of the supplemental action, and from the coupling member, r. on the piano *t'rame a flexible tube, 27, leads to the primary pneumatic chamber of the princi-- pal action. 'lhereason for thus transposauq the main air tubes of" the two actions iuia uecting them with the coupling members, Icspc(':ti\ely,is that the main air tube, 26, from the principal exhaust cluunberis necessarily larger than the main air tube,

.27, from the supplen'icntal exhaust (,llflll'h,

her, because in the principal action supplied by the first n'ientioned tube, there will 7 usually be several notes sounded snnultancg5 "ouslv, requiring a large air supply for opcratinp the pneumatics, whercasin the supplen'iental or solo action there will usually be only a single note sounded at a time, call-i in: for a correspoiulingly smaller air sup- 0 ply lo operatethe pneumatics: but on the other hand, the number of llcxible tubes of v the principal action is very much larger than the number of tubes of the supplcn'icutal air solo action. lly assembling the larger group of small pneumatic tubes with the smaller main air tube and the snuillcr group of small,

v[nicimmtic tubes with the larger main air lube, the two couplings and the two cables are made substantially the same size. The transposition odicatcd avoids making one cxcocdinQly large cable and one comparalivcly small one, and causes the two cables to be substantially the same size, For, as [11 the case oi the couplings, the larger main air tube which connccts the prini'flipal action wilh the principal exhaust chamber is placed in the able with the sumllor number of llcxihlc tubcs ol lhc supplcnwntul action,

and the smallcr main air 'Lubc whi h cou- 12a uccls the primary pncnnmlic, chunlbcr of thc supplemental action wilh lhe supplcmenial exhaust chambcr in lllu manner are placed in the chainbcr with the larger numbcr ol llcxiblo tubcs ol the principal action.

Controlled by primary umaiics in the upplcmenlal action (li'.illil n::, there are provided motor pncumalics, 530, ill and 32 which are conveniently located at (he lel't-hand end of the group of motor pneumatics of the supplemental action. "Said motor pneumatics, 30, 31 and 32, are for operating, respectively, the soft pedal action, the loud pedal action and the sostenuto pedal action of the piano. tion of these motor pneumatics'and their respective primaries, is that which is shown in my Patent No.1,005,771, dated November 10, 1911, and need not be herein described further than to state that they are two primaries for oontrollin each of the motor pneumatics, one of sai primaries operating when its connection at the tracker is open to collapse the motor pneumatic to be expanded. For each of these motor pneumatics, therefore, there are two flexible tubes leading to the cou lin' member, 8. The tubes, 30 and 30 or t epneumatic, 30; 31, and 31 for the pneumatic 31, and 32' and I32 for the motor neumatic, 32.

Three ducts, 40, 41 and 42 near the lefthand end of the tracker, and three ducts, 41' and *2, near the right-hand end of the tracker havin corresponding flexible tubes, 43, 43" an 43; and 43, 43 and 4.3, leading to the coupling, 24, for communicatin with the tubes, 3O, 31 and 32, 1" and 32", above described, for controlling the collapse and extension of the The construction and operamotor pneumatics, 30, 31 and 32. By this.

construction, the note sheet traveling over the tracker on the cabinet, being provided with perforations correspondin to the three tracker ducts, 40, 41 and 42 at t e left-hand,

and with the three ducts, 40, 41' and 42 at the. right-hand portion of the tracker, controls e al actions ofthe piano for producing t e effects which are produced in personal playing by the foot of the operator epressing and releasin said pedals, re which these pneumatics, crate the several pedal actions referred to will be adapted to the particular character anism by 30, 31. and 32 opof the respective pedal actions of the piano in each instance, and the details of these connections about to be described, are merely illustrative and not essential.-

From the motor pneumatic, extends to the arm, 30,

30, a link, 30, of the rock shaft,

I 30", which it maybe understood has another j arm, not shown, suitably connected with the 3 mers for s0 t manual base-board, T, which is movable in.

the customer manner for shifting the hamaction. The connections for operating the board by the rock shaft are} not shown.

From the motor pneumatic, 31, a link, 31, i extends to an arm, 31, of the damper rocker j bar, 31, for rocking said bar in the manner in which it is operated by the loud pedal connection, not shown, except as to the thrust rod, 30, which directly actuates said rocker bar.

From the motor pneumatic, 32, the link,

F net-connected end are 32, extends to one of the side arms, 32, of the sostenuto lock bar, 32, for operating said bar in the manner in which it is operated by the sostenuto pedal connections, not shown, except as to the link, 32, which it may be understood is operated by connections with the sostenuto pedal, not shown.

It may be understood that in the exterior cabinet, and connected with the mechanism therein, there may be provided any customary devices for controlling at will, or automatically, the tempo, or the air tension of the exhaust chambers, and these devices are not illustrated nor described because they may be the same as in any auto-pneumatic player mechanism, whether interior or exterior to the piano case.

In order to facilitate connecting the piano by means of the cable with the exterior cabi net located at either side of the piano, it is preferable to mount the coupling members; 8 and 8, to which the flexible tubes from the pneumatic actions extend, so as to per mit it to turn to face either side or the rear of the piano, and for this purpose it is preferably mounted as shown upon an arm, 50, pivoted on any convenient fixed support, as far forward as such support can be conveniently found, and'somewhat preferably upon the pneumatic action, for which purpose a brac (ct, 51, is mounted upon the rear side of the primary pneumatic chamber of the supplemental action. In order to carry the coupling and tubes and cables attached to it securely at the end of this swinging arm, there may be provided a segmental track, 52. upon which the rear end of the arm rests and travels when it is moved 3 by swing mg about the fulcrum to carry tllBbOllPllIlg from one side to the other.

The cables extending from the piano to the cabinet which contains the tracker and roll-operating mechanism corresponds to the coupling members already described. Cable, X, comprises fifty-eight small tubes, 00, of which fifty-two are for the solo action and six for the pedal action, and a large tube, X, which makes junction at the respective couplings with the tubes, 26 and 26.", of the cabinet and piano, respectively. The cable, Y, comprises eighty-eight small tubes. 3 and a larger tube, g not so large as the tube, .10, which makes junction at the respective couplings with the tubes, 27 and 27, of the cabinet and piano, respectively. The coupling members terminating the cables at the cabi indicated by numerals, 24" and 21, respectively. p

All the coupling members, both those which terminate the cables and those which are mounted on the cabinet and piano, res ectively, are similarly constructed in this:

hat each of them consists in a flat plate provided with as many apertures asthe num er of tubes to be connected with it, the

plate having at one side nipples 24t extending from the respective apertures to receive the flexible tubes, respectively, and being at the other side perfectly fiat for abutting upon the correspondingly flat face of the counterpart coupling. Preferably, the abutting faces of the two members are provided with a surface covering, 39, of any slightly compressible material, as thin leather, so that an airtightjunction is effected between the two plates when they are pressed together, and for registering the two plates so that the corresponding tubes will be in proper communication through said coupling members, one member at each junction has dowel projections, 35, and the op posite member at such junction has come sponding dowel sockets, 36, for receiving the dowel pins, thus insuring the accurate registration of the two members with each other when connected. The two dowel pins and the corresponding dowel apertures should be positioned so that'they cannot be engaged transposedly; as; .tor example, by locating them at a different distance from the center, as seenin Fig, 6. F or connecting and clamping the two coupling members together at each junction, there may be employed a flange ring, M, having itsflange engaged behind the peripheral margin of one of the couplingmembers (see Figs. 6 and 7), and having any convenient number of oblique slots, m, opening through its unfiangcd edge to receive and engage studs, m,

which project from the periphery of the counterpart member, forming a so-called bayonet lock device; and for readily engagingand clamping and disengaging this ring to unite and separate the coupling members, the ring may be provided with handles, M (See Fig. 5.)

For positioning the cabinet at any considerable distance from the piano, twomore cables may be employed coupled together by the coupling devices; and in order to render this convenient, the coupling members at the opposite ends of the cable are count'erparts;that is, one of them retains the coupling ring, M, and has the dowel apertures, 36, and the other has the pins, m and the dowels, 35; and of the coupling members mounted on the piano case and exterior cabinet, respectively,.one is of one form and the other of the other form, as illustrated, so that either one cable or sev eral cables of identical construction coupled together may readily be employed for connecting the exterior cabinet with the piano.

- I elaimr- 1. In combination a piano having mounted on its case striker pncumatics for operating the several sounding devices ofjthe piano, a primary pneumatic chamber, flexible tubes for controlling the several striker pneumatics, and a'ma-in exhaust tube leading from the primary pneumatic chamber; an exterior cabinet, and mounted therein a tracker, exhaust devices, note-sheet-playing mechanism; tubes from the tracker ductstube mentioned are connected; a coupling member mounted on the cabinet to which the flexible tubes and the main air tube mentioned in said cabinet areconnected, said coupling members on the cabinetand on the piano case being exterior-1y exposed for connection with a counterpart, and a cable comprising flexible tubes and a main air tube and havingits opposite ends provided with coupling members which are counterparts of the coupling members on the piano case and the exterior cabinet respectively, and to which said flexible tubes and main air tube are connected at their opposite ends respectively, and means for connecting said cable coupling members with the coupling members 011 the piano case and cabinet, respectively.

9. In combination with a piano having mounted on its case striker pneumatics for operating the several sounding devices of the piano, a primary pneumatic chamber, flexible tubes for controlling the several striker pneumatics, and a main exhaust tube leading from the primary pneumatic.eham-" her; an exterior cabinet, and mounted therein a tracker, exhaust 'devices, note-sheet:

playingmechanism, tubes from the tracker and the main air tube mentioned in said cabinet are connected, said coupling members being exteriorly exposed for connection with a counterpart and being counterparts, and having the. tube mouths of theirrespeetive abutting faces arranged for registration of the c-zm'esponding mouths, and means for clan'iping said couplings together. i 3. In combination with a piano having mounted on its case an exhaust chamber, striker pneumatics for operating the respective sounding devices of the piano, flexible tubes controlling said striker imeumaties rcspectivcly, and a main air tube leading to the exhaust chamber: an cxterior cabinet and portions of automatic player mechanism therein comprising exhaust devices and a main air tube therefrom, a tracker and flexible tubes leading from the respective ducts thereofi; a coupling clei iceilor connecting the lii'st nientioned flexil'ihrgtubes and main mr tubelivith the flexible tubes and main air tube of the cabinet, said coupling device consisting of two plates adapted to abut face to face, and having correspondingly arranged apertures and nipples surrounding said apertures on the outer side of the plate for receiving the tubes; means for registering said plates with each other for causing their corresponding apertures to coincide, and means for clamping the plates together when thus registered.

4. In combination with a piano having on its case a principal pneumatic action and a supplemental pneumatic action, each comprising a primary pneumatic chamber; a main alir tube to said primary pneumatic chamber and a group of flexible tubes for controlling the respective striker pneumatics; a coupling to which the principal action flexible tubes are connected, and a second coupling to which the supplemental action flexible tubes are connected, the main air tube from the supplemental action primary chamber being connected to the first-mentioned coupling, and the'main air tube from the principal action primary chamber being connected to the second-mentioned coupling;

an exterior cabinet and portions of an auto matic player mechanism therein comprising principal and supplemental exhaust devices for the principal and supplemental actions respectively; a tracker, flexible tubes leading from the respective ducts thereof for connection with said actions respectively, and main air tubes leading from the principal and supplemental exhaust devices respectively; a coupling device for connecting the flexible tubes from the tracker pertainin to the principal action with the corresponc in tubes from said principal action; a secon coupling device for connecting the flexible tubes from the tracker pertaining to the supplemental action with the corresponding flexible tubes from said supplemental action, the main air tube from the principal exhaust chamber beingconnected with the coupling which receives the supplemental action tracker tubes, and the main air tube from the supplemental exhaust device being connected with the coupling which receives the principal action tracker tubes, and cables connecting the corresponding couplings on the piano case and exterior cabinet, each o comprising main air tubes and groups of flexible pneumatic tubes corresponding to the tubes connected with said couplings respectively.

5. In combination with a piano having mounted on its case a pneumatic action for operating upon the manual keys; flexible tubes leading from the pneumatic action, and a coupling device to which such tubes are connected; a support for the cou ling device comprising an arm pivoted on t e piano case for swinging its free end horizontally from a position near one side to aposition near the other side of the piano case at the rear-of the manual, said coupling device being mounted on said free swinging end of said arm.

6. In combination with a piano having zontally from a position near one side to a 7 position near the other side of the piano case at the rear of the manual, said coupling device being mounted on said free swinging end of said arm, and a track for supportiiig said free swinging end of said arin mounted on the under side of the piano case and curved about the pivot of the arm In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of May, 1912.

MELVILLE CLARK.

Witnesses: I j

LUCY F. STONE, M. GERTRUDE ADY. 

